Practice guide for baseball pitchers



J m 1 Fl July 13 1926.

PRACTICE GUIDE FOR BASEBALL PITCHERS n monk;

affozncqa Patented July 13, 1926'.

UNITED STATES JOHN W. BOVAN E,

OF KEOKUK, IOWA.

- PRACTICE GUIDE FOR BASEBALL PITCHERS.

Application filed September 10, 1925. Serial No. 55,535.

This invention relates to im rovements i in practice guides for baseball pitchers.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a practice guide or training device which baseball pitchers may use in order to determine accurately the efficiency of their pitching and to become proficient in the control of their pitched balls. A further object of this invention is the provision of an improved type of training device for base ball pitchers, embodying means for adjustment in order to properly regulate the efliciency of the pitched balls of a pitcher; the device embodying an opening of a width equal to the width of the conventional home plate, and of a regulated height adjustable to suit the varying height of players between the strike heights limits of the player, that is, between the knees and shoulders of the player.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an improved practice guide for baseball pitchers, the frame work having improved means to prevent injury to the pitched ball should the same foul thereagainst.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several news, A

Figure 1 is a perspective view of'the assembled practice guide or training device for baseball pitchers, showing a player in a cooperative relation to the training device in order to more clearly designate the novel features of the device.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the framework of the improved training device, with parts thereof removed to show the ad justable construction of the framework.

Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views taken substantially on their respective lines of Figure 1.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of the invention the letter A may generally designate the improved practice guide or training device. It includes vertical frame standards 10 and 11, rigidly secured in right angled vertically extended relation from the base members or plates 12 and 13 respectively. The plates or members 12 and 13 are preferably elongated, in parallel relation along the path of trajectory of the pitched ball, so that portions of each of said attaching members or plates 12 and 13 extend forwardly and rearwardly of the plane of the standards 10 and 11. These plates or members 12 and 13 are each provided with a plurality of forward and rearward openings 14, adapted to receive rivets or bolts 15, whereby to secure the said plates or members 12 and 13 upon a floor or other foundation, to stably mount the standards 10 and 11 in vertical, and preferably nonvibratory position. The standards 10 and 11 may of course be of any hei ht desired. The standards 10 and 11 are urthermore spaced a distance exactly equivalent to the width of the conventional home plate at its widest part, namely, about 17 inches. The standards 10 and 11 are each preferably provided with a lower series of openings 18 therein, and an upper series of openings 19 therein. Lower and upper horizontal cross bars or members 20 and 21 are adapted for respective attachment with the lower and upper openings 18 and 19 of the standards 10 and 11. These cross bars 20 and 21 each include acylindrical body portion 22, as isillustrated in Figure 4c of the drawings, with reduced outwardly extending shanks 23 at the ends thereof adapted for detachable disposition in the openings, 18 or 19 of the standards 10 and 11. The shanks 23 are screw threaded at 28, for detachably receiving nuts 29.

The bar 20 is placed at the average knee height of a player, and the same is of course adjustable as to various heights above the floor attaching plates 12 and 13, as is readily obvious, by merely detaching the nuts 29 and removing the bar 20 to position the same at the desired height in any of the lowermost openings 18 of the standards 10 and 11, which horizontally align.

The upper bar 21 is formed identical with the description above given for the bar 20, and it is adapted for adjustable positioning at a desired horizontal height above thefloor or above the cross bar 20, in order that the pitcher may place the same on. the shoulder line of the height of player to which he desires to pitch.

As an improved and novel feature of the training device, it is preferred to provide protecting rollers loosely fitting about the standards 10 and 11 and the cross bars 20 and 21, so that the same will freely rotate on their respective parts of the frame and prevent injury to pitched balls which foul as by striking on the device A, and to readily deflect said balls and buff the action thereof. To this end it is preferred to provide roller sleeves 35 and 36 for the lower portions of the standards 10 and 11 below the lower cross bar 20; individual rollers 37 and 38 for the lower and upper cross bars 20 and 21 respectively; and sleeves 39 and 40 for the standards 10 and 11 respectively between the lower and upper bars 20 and 21, as is illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. The roller sleeves 35, 36, 39 and 40 may be made adjustable as to height, in order to permit of the adjustment of the horizontal cross bars 20 and 21 in a vertical plane, and to this end the said rollers 35, 36, 39 and 40 may include detachable auxiliary sleeve portions 41, of any approved number in order to vary the height of said sleeve portions for the standards 10 and 11 to entirely cover the same below the uppermost cross bar 21. In lieu of such arrangement the sleeves 35, 36, 39 and 40 may be made telescopic or extensible in accordance with any approved construction.

On the practice ground, playing field, or gymnasium, the improved training device and practice guide is placed about feet from the location where the pitcher stands to deliver the ball. The rectangular opening 45 provided by the device A between the upper and lower cross bars and the vertical standards 10 and 11, designates the area within which the pitched ball may pass to be termed a strike ball. The upper and lower cross bars being adjustable, the device may be used to suit the desires of the pitcher, in order to train for pitching to the height of player with which he is least effective.

Due to the provision of rubber tubing rollers 35 to 40 inclusive, which are of course flexible, injury to the ball is prevented.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a practice device for baseball pitchers the combination of vertical supporting standards, upper and lower horizontal cross bars in spaced relation, and ball protecting means rotatably mounted on said standards and cross bars.

2. In a practice device of the class described the combination of a frame including spaced side portions and spaced upper and lower cross members, to provide an opening the width of which is equivalent to the width of the conventional home plate of a baseball diamond and the height of which is equivalent to the distance between the knees and shoulders of a batter, and means carried upon said side portions and top and bottom cross members for protecting a ball should the same foul thereagainst, said means being in the nature of rubber tubing freely rotatable and loosely mounted upon said side portions and upper and lower cross members.v

3. In a pitchers practicing device of the class described, a pair of spaced standards, a lower cross bar horizontally connected across said standards at a location above the lower end of said standards, an u per cross bar connected between said stan ards at a location above the lower cross bar, flexible rubber tubing sleeves freely rotatable on the upper and lower cross bars, and flexible rubber tubing sleeves freely rotatable on the itandards above and below said lower cross 4. In a pitcher's practicing device of the class described, a pair of spaced standards, a lower cross bar horizontally connected across said standards at a location above the lower end. of said standards, an upper cross bar connected between said standards at a location above the lower cross bar, flexible rubber tubing sleeves freely rotatable on the upper and lower cross bars, flexible rubber tubing sleeves freely rotatable on the standards above and below said lower cross bar, means for adjusting the spaced relation of said upper and lower cross bars along said standards, and means for adjusting the lengths of said flexible rubber tubing upon said standards.

5. In a practice device for baseball itchers the combination of a frame incluoing a pair of spaced vertical standards disposed in parallel relation for a space equivalent to the distance across the home plate of a conventional baseball diamond, said standards each having an upper series of openings therethrough and a lower series of openings therethrough, horizontal upper and lower cross bar members for the upper and lower series of openings of said standards each including cylindrical body portions and reduced end shanks adapted to detachably rotatably bear in the openings of said standards, the outer ends of said reduced shanks having screw threaded portions, and nuts for detachable adjustment on said screw threaded portions at the outer sides of said standards for clampin the standards agains the ends of the bod Y portions of said cross bars.

JOHN W. ROVANE. 

